


A Covert Affair

by franscats



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: M/M, The Sentinel Reverse Bang 2012
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 14:15:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3413699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/franscats/pseuds/franscats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Feds believe Jim Ellison is a low level sentinel because he works without a guide.  They ask him to go undercover at the Office of Guide Services (OGS) and find out why only low level sentinels are being sent into federal agencies.  Jim agrees to go undercover and get the information.  At the OGS, he meets one of the testers, Guide Blair Sandburg.  Guide Blair Sandburg can tell there is something "off" about Jim's test scores and begins his own covert investigation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Undercover

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: This piece was done for the Sentinel Thursday Challenge #440 – Recycling the Reverse Big Bang. The challenge asked that the author choose one of the pictures from the Reverse Big Bang and write a story based on the picture. I chose Lapetite Kiki’s picture RB=16, which can be found here:
> 
> http://www.sentinelbigbang.com/2012reversebang/Project_16/project16a.html
> 
> Chapter one of the story is not slash but chapter two is slash.  
> This work is AU and sentinels and guides are known.
> 
> I would like to thank Pattrose and Morgan for running the Reverse Big Bang, Lapetite Kiki for the artwork, and Bluewolf for reminding me about this story.
> 
> Disclaimer: The Sentinel and its characters are the property of Paramount and Pet Fly Productions who own the rights to (fandom and said characters), I do not. No money has been exchanged. No harm, slander, defamation of character or company intended. (Character/fandom) may be copyrighted.

Chapter One - Undercover

 

“Ellison, my office,” Simon Banks, Captain of Major Crimes, bellowed.

Jim looked up and then around the busy bullpen, his eyes moving to his sometime partner, Megan Connor, with a raised eyebrow and shrug before he stood and entered the office.

“Close the door,” Simon commanded, walking over to the coffee pot. Looking over at Ellison, Simon indicated a mug and Jim nodded so Banks poured two cups before walking to his door and turning on the white noise generator that would ensure that they would not be overheard by any sentinels working in the building. Sentinels were people with five enhanced senses, super hearing, eye sight, etc. Coming back, he handed Jim a cup before taking a seat across from Ellison.

“What’s up Sir?”

Simon sighed and glanced down at the papers on his desk and then up at Jim. “We have an assignment and to be honest you’re not going to like it. We’re going to need you to go undercover. And you’re going to be working with the Feds.”

Jim didn’t react but Simon didn’t expect him too. Jim was far too well trained for that. “The FBI has come to me asking for your help.”

“My help?”

Simon nodded. “You’re an unbonded sentinel, you’ve got the highest solve rate in the state, and you have a covert ops background.”

“What has my sentinel status to do with this?” Jim practically growled. His status was a very sticky point. Simon Banks knew that Jim had been assigned a guide in the army, but that the bonding hadn’t worked out right. The details were classifie,d and though Simon had tried all his connections, he hadn’t been able to find out anything about what had happened between Jim and the guide, Lee Brackett, beyond the fact that Brackett had ended up in a military prison. When asked about it, Jim refused to talk citing security classifications and non-disclosures. Right after the incident with Brackett, Jim had been sent on a mission to Peru where bad intel had ended with his team being killed and Jim abandoned for eighteen months. When Jim got back from Peru he quit the army and entered the police academy.

Simon picked up his coffee cup taking a sip before continuing. “Everyone thinks you’re a low level sentinel because you’ve done okay without a guide. So, if you go undercover people will not look at your abilities too closely and this assignment calls for a sentinel.” Simon knew Jim was not, as supposed, a low level sentinel. Jim had once told him in confidence that though he kept his senses damped down most of the time, he had been trained by a Chopec Shaman and could handle his senses without a guide as long as he didn’t over use them or wasn’t too tired. And he made a point of not using them when he was tired.

“Simon,” Jim answered in warning, his light blue eyes pinning the Captain. Jim didn’t advertise his sentinel status and certainly didn’t want “The Powers That Be” in the police department knowing just how high his senses were. Otherwise, they would have sentinel doctors and researchers poking and prodding him with tests and insisting he use his senses more aggressively – usually more aggressively than needed. Not to mention they would not let him work without a guide in the field and they would be oh so careful with him, like he was made of fragile glass or something. The idea of it, made Jim shudder. And the idea of a guide…

“The Secret Service and other agencies have had some sentinel problems,’ Simon said, softly. “The sentinels coming up through the ranks are not the quality and caliber that would be expected around high ranking dignitaries and officials. Hell, we have higher rated sentinels than some that are going through the top government field office. It’s as if someone is sabotaging the program and they need to know who and how.” Simon let the words sink in for a moment before continuing. “The Feds want you to transfer in. They figure you’ll be able to find out what’s going on.”

“I don’t want this assignment,” Jim answered, glancing at the folder on Simon’s desk, not moving to touch it, and acting as if it might burn him.

“I know,” Simon agreed. “I know you don’t want people dealing with you as a sentinel. But you’re perfect for the assignment and we do need to know what’s going on.” He grabbed and handed Jim the file. “We can find some way to have Megan keep contact with you, maybe set her up as your girlfriend so we can back you up.”

Simon watched Jim’s face, the set jaw. He knew his detective would take the case because it had to be done and Jim had a real sense of duty. “Read over the file today. We’ll talk tomorrow and if you agree to do it, we’ll get Megan involved before talking to the Feds.” Jim glanced at the file and then grabbed his coffee.

“You don’t trust the Feds?” he asked, and Simon nodded.

“I don’t trust anyone outside of Major Crimes.” It was a solemn statement and Jim nodded as he took the file and left the office.

***

Blair Sandburg bounced into OGS - the Office of Guide Services, a beaming smile on his tanned face that made his dark blue eyes sparkle as he moved over to stand before the secretary. “Hi Maria, how have things been while I was gone and did you miss me?”

Maria smiled at the young man before her. “Things are always quiet when you’re not around Blair. How was your vacation?”

“San Diego was beautiful and sunny and I still haven’t figured out why I live up here instead of down there.”

“And your mother?” the secretary, asked ignoring the comment. Blair always said he hated the cold but she knew something kept him in the northern pacific region, some instinct. She had never said anything to Blair, but she always wondered if it was the call of a sentinel. She knew it was an overly romantic idea, but it would be nice for Blair, an unbounded guide, to find his sentinel. 

“She’s heading off to some south seas island.” 

“That’s my idea of a vacation,” the secretary answered, standing and walking over to a box on top of a file cabinet, and pulling a folder from it.

“We’ve had a recent application,” she said, handing the file over. “James Ellison, sentinel. He’s hoping OGS can place him.” Maria paused, thinking over the tall, handsome man who had stood before her desk Friday afternoon, a smile of appreciation on her face. 

Blair, catching that smile, answered with one of his own. “Handsome huh?” he asked, opening the file to look at the picture of Jim Ellison.

“Only if you like the strong, silent, Greek God types,” she answered. 

Ellison had been vetted and had the paperwork cleared Friday afternoon and so he was sent up for senses testing. The Office of Guide Services had two testers, both unbounded guides, Blair Sandburg and Gordy Burns. Blair was still on vacation when the paperwork and Ellison arrived but Gordy Burns had left early Friday afternoon for a doctor’s appointment. Maria had scoffed at the idea that Burns was leaving early for a doctor’s appointment but since no one was available to test the sentinel she had arranged for him to return today.

“Greek God,” Blair repeated, looking at the head shot, the strong chin, and blue eyes. “What time is he coming in?’

“I figured you might need a few minutes to settle in, so I asked him to come at ten.”

“And you want me to test him?”

Maria smiled. She didn’t say anything but when a sentinel came in that gave off a good vibe, she usually tried to get Blair to do the testing. Not being a sentinel or a guide, she didn’t know how the bonding thing worked, but she always hoped Blair’s sentinel would walk through the door. However, Gordon Burns, Director Green’s handpicked assistant, as senior tester, had this tendency to review in coming sentinels and Gordy decided who did the testing. Maria always wondered if Gordy was stacking the deck to find his own sentinel, not that it had ever worked. But it seemed he was very particular about who he would and wouldn’t test.

Before Maria could answer, Gordon Burns walked in. Gordy had hazel eyes and quick smile that never seemed to reach his eyes. He was just under six feet which would have looked good on the man if he kept his body toned. He didn’t. He was about thirty pounds overweight and his short wiry hair did nothing to offset the extra weight.

“Morning Blair, Maria,” he offered, glancing at the file Blair held, his eyes narrowing. He tried to keep his voice light but both could hear a slight edge creep into the tone. “New sentinel?” Blair nodded and handed the file to Gordy who glossed over the picture, not caring what the man looked like, to glance at the specs. Shrugging, he handed the file back. “Doesn’t look like he’s a very strong sentinel,” he said, his voice sounding more casual. “He’s been working for years without a guide.” He glanced at the coffee pot. “Would you mind testing him, Blair? I’ve got a lot of work to do and I need to meet with Director Green and the financial committee.”

“No problem,” Blair smiled at Maria. “I’ll just go get myself organized,” Blair answered, picking up his backpack. He glanced back at the secretary. “Thanks, Maria.”

Blair walked out and headed to his own very small office. He winced looking around at the stacks of papers and grabbed some moving them to make room for the sentinel. Sentinels tended to like order, mostly because they needed it to control their senses, and this room, while ordered in a way Blair could understand, would upset a sentinel’s sense of organization. Clearing a chair and his desk, Blair glanced around deciding things were neat enough for an interview before taking his seat and reading over Jim’s application again.

He took some quick notes on Jim Ellison’s sentinel record. His senses came online late in life, while he was in the army, and though it wasn’t clearly explained, it was noted that the guide supplied by the army hadn’t worked out. Jim Ellison had been working without a guide ever since, so Gordy was probably correct; Ellison probably was a low level sentinel.

Sitting back thoughtfully, he considered the applicants they had been getting. When he first started working for Guide Services, when Director Storm was in charge, the sentinels coming in had been a wide range, some testing high, some testing low, but lately the only ones he was testing were low. Gordy was saying the same thing. He would take a sentinel applicant’s folder and after testing declare the sentinel’s abilities low. Half the time he would reject the sentinel outright suggesting the sentinel look for work in the private sector. Gordy would even give recommendations to organizations he was familiar with to help the low level sentinel find a job. Of course, some low level sentinels were forwarded to a federal agency because of other abilities that compensated for their low grade senses. But it didn’t make sense; he smiled at the pun, but sobered as he continued following his thoughts. Were sentinels losing their enhancements or were they not going into security fields? Either theory seemed implausible, sentinels were inclined to protect and why would they suddenly lose their abilities?

He was still going over these thoughts when there was a knock at the door and the secretary heralded Jim Ellison into the room. Looking up the long muscled legs, past the thin waist, washboard stomach and up the muscled chest to Jim Ellison’s face, Blair decided the head shot didn’t do him justice and they should have taken a full body picture of the sentinel, preferably in the nude. 

Before he could let that thought go any further, Blair pushed his libido to the back of his mind, and stood walking around the desk. “Blair Sandburg,” he offered, putting out a hand and Jim smiled taking it. And just like that Blair felt it, the spark that went through him.

“Jim Ellison,” Jim replied, finally pulling his arm away when it seemed as if Blair didn’t intend to let go.

“Hi, uhm welcome.” Blair shook himself to refocus. “Have a seat.” He took his time walking around his desk to refocus. He had never actually had a physical response to a sentinel before. Taking his seat, he opened the file. “I understand you’re looking for a position with a federal agency,” Blair glanced up into the clear blue eyes. “Don’t like being a cop anymore?”

Jim shrugged. “I thought I might go further in a federal system.”

Blair nodded. “We’ll have to test your sentinel abilities. Any idea how strong they are?”

Jim shrugged again. He knew he was going to keep sight and hearing way down so they would test low, but for appearances sake he wanted to show high in taste, touch and smell. “I guess I’m okay with smell and taste but sight and hearing are barely above normal. Will that be a problem?”

“With your background, probably not,” Blair answered pulling out some papers and starting to fill in information¸ asking a few questions. “When and where were you originally tested?”

“The army,” Jim answered, and Blair glanced up.

“According to your records you had a guide but it didn’t work out. What happened?”

Jim sighed. “He wanted me to do more than I could or would¸” he answered, honestly.

Blair nodded. “Sometimes it is hard for guides to understand their sentinels’ limits,” he said, sympathetically. “They get caught up in their sentinel’s abilities.” It more than suited Jim to let Blair think the problem with his guide had been senses related, so he smiled sitting back.

“Will these results be accessible to anyone?” Jim asked. and Blair looked up.

“No, we don’t give them out except to the federal agencies that we recommend the sentinels to and only with their consent.”

Jim nodded glancing around the room. Raising his hearing he caught the sound of an electronic monitoring device, acknowledging that the room was bugged and wondering if Blair was or wasn’t aware of the fact.

“Alright then, when should we start?” Jim smiled, reminding himself he would need to dial down his senses.

“I guess now would be as good a time as any, if you don’t mind. It takes somewhere between one and four hours depending on how strong your senses are,” Blair stood and Jim stood followed him out the door.

Two hours later, Blair sat with the results of Jim Ellison’s tests, reviewing them and shaking his head. His taste, touch and smell senses had tested high but just as Jim had said his sight and hearing were low. Frowning, Blair walked into Maria’s office and handed her the folder. He had told Jim that Maria would be out to set up a meeting with Gordon Burns who would go over his options as a sentinel in federal employ, but Blair couldn’t shake the idea that something was wrong with these results.

Blair’s initial reactive jolt when meeting the sentinel told the guide there was something more to him than a low rated sentinel and somehow the test results just didn’t add up right. It was almost as if the sentinel were deliberately throwing the results but why on earth would he? 

“Something wrong with the Greek God?” Maria asked, watching Blair.

“I don’t know. The results don’t add up right.” He shook his head but smiled looking at the woman. “You’re right though, he looks like a Greek God.” Maria smiled back. She knew Blair’s sexual preferences were diverse and if nothing else, he would appreciate the man’s physique.

“Gordy left with Director Green for a meeting with a congressional liaison. I’ll make an appointment for Mr. Ellison to meet with Gordy tomorrow,” she stated, grabbing the calendar from her desk, and heading into the waiting room.

Blair nodded and watched her leave before going back to his own office. Sitting at his desk he let his fingers beat out a rhythm drumming on his desk for some minutes thinking over the testing he had just done. Finally, he decided he needed more information. Pulling out his rolodex, he looked up an old friend, Jack Kelso, and made a phone call.

Twenty minutes later, Blair hung up the phone after Kelso promised to look into Jim Ellison’s records.

***

Jim arrived at 9:40 the next morning for his ten o’clock appointment and walked into the office smiling at the secretary.

“Good morning Mr. Ellison,” Maria couldn’t help but smile at the man before her. “You’re a bit early,” she said, glancing at the clock on her desk.

“There was no traffic,” Jim answered, looking around. “Maybe I can read a magazine while waiting,” he asked, widening his smile.

Thinking the man’s smile was amazing, Maria gave an answering smile, “Of course.” Getting up from her desk she led the way to Mr. Burns’ office and indicated he should take a seat in the waiting area. “Director Joseph Green is in with him, but they’ll be through in a couple of minutes.” Smiling again, she turned and headed back to her own desk.

Jim sat down outside of Burns’ office and picked up the nearest magazine. Despite being the only person in the waiting area, he knew he would need to keep up pretenses. So, every two minutes he would turn the page of the magazine and he kept his eyes firmly fixed on the pages, but Jim was extending his hearing, slowly. It wouldn’t do to zone at this point, so he carefully notched up hearing until he could hear the man in the office. Actually, there were two men in the office and they were discussing Jim.

“I hear Sandburg tested a sentinel yesterday, any good?” the first man asked.

“No, Kincaid’s group wouldn’t want him. His sight and hearing are barely above normal.”

“You sure? And why isn’t the white noise generator on, you idiot?” the man asked, and Jim could hear him start to rise.

“Relax,” the second man answered. “He’s been online for years without a guide, there’s no need for cloak and dagger nonsense. We can offer him a job with any of the services.”

“Let’s get our people to watch him for a day just to be sure,” the second man replied.

Considering what he had just overheard, Jim rose and moved back to the secretary’s desk – as far from the door as possible.

“Mr. Ellison is everything okay?”

“Yes, I was just wondering if I could get some water?” Jim asked, wanting Burns and Green to think he was having a conversation with the secretary.

Getting a paper cup from the secretary, Jim was by the water cooler when the two men exited the office. They turned and noted Jim by the water cooler and the one stepped over while the other left the area.

“Mr. Ellison,” the man extended his hand and smiled. “My name is Gordon Burns.” Jim shook the offered hand. “If you’ll step into my office we can discuss some employment options.”

Jim was offered three different agencies during the discussion that followed in Burns’ office. Considering the various jobs, Jim asked for a day to decide which he was most interested in before leaving and heading home.

Picking up his cell, aware a sentinel could be following and turning on the portable white noise generator the Feds had given him would be suspicious, Jim pressed his speed dial. Trying to add a note of excitement to his voice when the caller answered, Jim said, “Hey Megs. Guess What? I’ve been offered three jobs. How about meeting for lunch and we’ll discuss them?”

“That would be great dear,” Megan Connor answered. 

“Why don’t you meet me by the loft,” Jim suggested. “You can decide on where we eat and the sky’s the limit tonight.”

Hanging up, Jim made his way home, aware of a small non-descript car following his. At the red light, still being careful not to zone, Jim let his eyes move to his side mirror looking at the two men in the car, recognizing neither. 

He was surprised when he realized he felt some relief that neither man had been the one that had tested him, and he hoped Sandburg was not part of the “cloak and dagger nonsense.”

Megan Connor was waiting outside of Jim’s loft and hugged Jim by way of greeting when he stepped outside of the truck. Smiling, he opened the passenger side door, and she slid gracefully into the truck before he turned to her. “Where do you want to eat?” he asked. 

“Luigi’s,” she answered and Jim nodded, starting the truck and heading down Prospect Ave.

Luigi’s was a small restaurant in downtown Cascade that catered to sentinels. The food was kept bland with choice spices mixed and prepared on the side for customers with less sensitive palettes. Lighting was low to accommodate sentinel’s eyes but it had the added appeal of making the place romantic. Additionally, there were white noise generators at every booth to ensure privacy. 

Walking in the couple were given a back booth and Jim watched as the men who had tailed him were seated in the booth behind them.

Ordering drinks and looking over the menu Megan watched as Jim reached across for her hand, sliding a napkin into it. Somehow, and for the life of her Megan didn’t know how, Jim had written three words on the napkin, “followed booth behind.” Taking the napkin she daintily dabbed her lips before ordering food and standing to go to the ladies room. “I’ll be back right back and then I want you to tell me all about the job offers,’ she stated.

Five minutes later, she was back and Jim explained the options the Office of Guide Services had offered. After discussing which ones Jim might be interested in, she went on to talk about work, and all the reports she had filed that day. Jim nodded sympathetically as they ate and the pair relaxed chatting until they finished their coffee and dessert almost two hours later. 

Jim paid the bill and the couple headed out, his tail once again following. At the loft, with a quick kiss good bye they separated, Megan getting into her car while Jim went inside, grabbed a beer, and turned on the news. Relaxing, he smiled knowing the tail was sitting outside and would be for hours.

***

The ringing of the phone woke Blair early and he groped for it, the dream he was having about meeting his sentinel, fading. “Hello,” he said, a bit groggily.

“Blair, Jack Kelso. How are you?”

“Ah…okay, Jack.” Blair rubbed his face trying to focus.

“I thought we might have breakfast,” Jack invited. “I’ll pick you up in twenty minutes.”

“Twenty minutes?” Blair repeated, blearily, and then as it registered, he sat up. Jack needed to tell him something important. “Okay, I’ll get ready.” He hung up and made a dash for the bathroom. If Jack Kelso was picking him up, Jack had something very important to talk about. 

Twenty minutes later, Jack Kelso’s van pulled up in front of Blair’s warehouse apartment and Blair, shaved and showered, hopped in smiling.

“Hey Jack,” he said, and Jack Kelso, former CIA operative, raised a hand in warning. “Where do you want to eat?”

“My place,” Jack answered. “I was on my way home and figured it’s near your office so you can walk to work from there.” Jack didn’t say it, but the place was also secure and private. Jack Kelso knew a few things about keeping secrets.

Jack parked his van and using the airlift maneuvered his wheelchair out of the van, reaching in to grab what Blair guessed by smell was a bag of bagels. He then rolled into his home, Blair following him. Once in, he turned off the house alarm and hit two switches that turned the lights and the white noise generators on. Indicating Blair should take a seat at the kitchen table, Jack placed the bagels on the table with some cream cheese before starting the coffee.

All this was done in silence and then he took his spot at the table and looked over at Blair. “What have you gotten yourself into?” he asked, and Blair blinked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Jim Ellison,” Jack reached onto the counter and tossed a folder in front of Blair. “Detective, Cop of the Year, Black Ops trained Army Ranger, high level sentinel. His turning up at your agency has all the earmarks of an undercover operation.”

“Why would anyone be running an undercover operation at OGS?” Blair challenged.

“I don’t know,” Jack answered, pulling a bagel from the bag. “But with Ellison involved, I’d bet a year’s pay it’s an operation.”

“But…” Blair paused and then glanced at the folder. “He didn’t test as a strong sentinel and he doesn’t have a guide.”

“I’ll be damned if I know how he does it,” Jack Kelso shook his head. “But the army gave him one of their strongest guides. They would not have given Ellison a guide on the level of Brackett if he wasn’t a strong sentinel.”

"But, but the tests.”

“Were sabotaged, Blair. OGS works on the premise that sentinels want to do well. What if they wanted to fail?” Blair shook his head again, and Kelso laughed. “Blair if someone wanted to be low key, not have people know he could monitor them, what better way would there be than to fail some of the sentinel testing.”

“And again I say why at OGS?”

“Have you noticed anything odd going on there?”

Blair started to say no, but then paused. “Maybe,” he admitted. “The sentinels coming in aren’t strong. I was beginning to wonder why.”

“Maybe Ellison, or whomever he’s working for, are wondering the same thing,” Kelso answered. “In any case, you watch your back and steer clear of Ellison.”

Blair nodded, grabbing a bagel, his face thoughtful, but Jack Kelso, watching him, somehow doubted he would listen.

***

Jim got up early the next morning and making coffee stepped out onto his balcony presumably to look at the day but, in truth, to look for his tail. The small car with the two men in it was gone but that didn’t mean another hadn’t replaced them.

Finishing up his morning routine, Jim grabbed his keys from the basket by the door and set out. He needed to stop at the PD and since he worked there he hoped it wouldn’t raise too many flags. Taking a route he didn’t normally take, one that went past a small breakfast place, Jim picked up some food. The small place had the added advantage of being on a road that would leave a car uncovered. Watching as he drove, Jim found no sign of a tail as he headed off again. Concluding they had given up or were better than Jim at following unobserved, an unnlikely scenario, Jim relaxed and turned toward the PD, entering and heading straight to Simon’s office where Simon, Megan and two Feds sat waiting for him. Glancing over to confirm that the white noise generator was on, he walked over to the table still eating his breakfast and nodded to the four officers before taking a seat.

“I take it you have some information,” the first officer, Tom Dunn, asked. He was a tall serious man, straight forward and abrupt. 

“Who were the men following me?” Jim didn’t answer the question.

“Two officers who work for Cyclops Oil,” Simon answered when it became apparent that the Feds wouldn’t. There was no way Simon would leave his officer undercover without giving him all the intel available. “And yes, you were right, they’re both sentinels.”

Jim nodded, sitting back. “Cyclops Oil is recruiting a sentinel force right out of that agency. When a sentinel comes in, if his senses are high enough, Burns and Green direct the sentinel to Garrett Kincaid.” Both Feds winced at the name.

“Kincaid is a dangerous son of a bitch,” the second Fed finally said something. “If he’s building a sentinel army, whether it’s for use in this country or not, it could be dangerous.”

“Excuse me mates,” Megan cut in. “I know what Cyclops Oil is, but who is Kincaid?’

Simon glanced at the Aussie Detective. “Kincaid is the CEO of Cyclops Oil. There are a lot of nature and human rights groups who believe he’s killing natives to get at the oil supplies in South America. If he’s building a sentinel army to take them out, they won’t stand a chance.”

“But sentinels protect instinctively,” Megan protested, and Tom Dunn nodded his agreement. 

But Jim shook his head. “Kincaid is a master of manipulation. I don’t doubt he’s finding some way to convince the sentinels the natives are dangerous.”

“How do we stop him?” Megan asked, and the second Fed glanced at Jm.

“Find out which sentinels he’s enlisted and manipulated and then expose him. Do you think you can get us a list of names?”

“Maybe,” Jim answered, knowing all their speculation was not good enough to get a warrant, not against Cyclops’ executives. They’d need a hell of a lot more to get a judge to sign off on a warrant. “I’ll be back there today. I’ll see what I can do.” He glanced at Simon. “I need info on Blair Sandburg,” he stated. “He’s the guide who tested me.”

“You think he’s dangerous?” 

Jim considered the dark blue eyes of the young man, the encouraging smile, and the jolt he had felt at meeting the guide. He hadn’t trusted a guide since Lee Brackett. Lee Brackett had betrayed both Jim, and his country, and had tried to use the bond to control Jim and force him to do something that went against his instincts. Jim had stopped him but it had been difficult and painful.

Jim had steered clear of guides ever since and relied on the training he had received from the natives in Peru to keep his senses in line. That had led everyone to believe he was a low level sentinel; which was fine by Jim. He kept his senses clamped down all the time which furthered that belief. Unfortunately, it had a nasty side effect, it caused headaches, but Jim lived with the pain, secure in the knowledge that no one controlled him. But something about Sandburg seemed different, and though Jim viciously suppressed the pull of the bond, he knew in his bones that something was right about the guide. Something instinctive made him want to reach out to Sandburg and he would have to guard against that instinct. Yes, Sandburg was dangerous, but only where Jim was concerned. Looking over at the two Feds Jim answered, “No, I think he’s innocent and just might help us.”


	2. An Affair of the Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated R for slash.

Jim Ellison walked into OGS at 11:00 and gave the secretary his most charming smile as he tried to think of ways to get into the OGS sentinel files.

He had told Simon and the Feds that he thought Blair Sandburg could be coaxed into helping them, but to do that he’d have to get close to the guide; something he was won’t to do. Also, he was aware that Sandburg’s office was bugged – which meant he’d have to get Sandburg out of the building and into a more social environment.

Disgusted by the idea of having to begin a social relationship with both an unbounded guide, and someone Jim considered an innocent pawn in this operation, he reminded himself that this needed to be done to stop Kincaid. Girding himself for the job, he sternly told himself the ends justified the means, but Jim didn’t really believe that, and had never been one to adhere to that philosophy. And yet, a lot of lives, not the least possibly the Chopec’s, hung in the balance unless Kincaid was stopped, and here was the best opportunity to stop Kincaid.

“Good morning, Mr. Ellison,” Maria chirped, as he entered the outer office of the OGS. “Mr. Burns is just finishing up a phone call and will be with you momentarily.”

“Thank you,” Jim glanced around, and then followed Maria down the corridor to Burns’ office, taking a seat outside the door and picking up a magazine. For all he knew it was the same magazine, but once again he was not reading as he notched his hearing up. He could hear Burns clearly enough and he recognized Green’s voice, but he could barely make out his words. Afraid to push his hearing up any higher, knowing he stood a good chance of zoning, he caught the words meeting, tomorrow night and Kincaid.

Bringing his hearing back down to normal, and standing and pacing over as far from the door as possible, Jim waited till Burns opened the door, to turn with what he hoped was an excited smile.

“Good morning, Mr. Ellison, please come in.”

Half an hour later, Jim was looking at the possibility of a job with the Secret Service as OGS sent out his info for them to review. “We will, of course, recommend you,” Burns said, as Jim stood to leave. “And your background is impressive, but the fact that you are an unbounded sentinel might work against you. You don’t have any possible prospects?” Burns asked, and Jim hesitantly shook his head no before turning to Burns with a slightly confused expression.

“I did have some kind of reaction to the man who tested me,” he said slowly, reluctantly, and truthfully.

Burns’ eyebrows shot to the roof his head. “You reacted to Blair?” he stated, surprised, and watched Jim nod. “Blair is an unbounded guide,” Burns said, softly. “He’s been hoping to find his sentinel forever.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he’d want a low level sentinel,” Jim answered, sounding bitter.

“I don’t know about that,” Burns sounded compassionate, but Jim could detect a note of something else in his voice as the senior tester sat back. “I could make an inquiry if you’re interested,” he offered and Jim pondered the idea. “At least you’d have an idea where you stand,” Burns coaxed.

Jim nodded and smiled as Gordy Burns reached for the phone. “I’ll just sit outside and you can let me know if I have a chance.” Jim turned to the door as Gordy called first Blair’s number and then the secretary’s.

“Maria, let me speak with Blair,” Jim heard as he stepped just outside the door leaning against the wall. Raising his hearing while leaning against Burns’ door he could clearly hear both sides of the conversation from this position.

“He stepped out of the office. He’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“He’s in the bathroom?’

“Yes Gordy,” the secretary answered, with a hint of amusement in her voice.

“Please have him call me as soon as he gets back.”

Jim standing outside, listened to Burns tap a pencil on the desk before lifting the phone again. “Hi Joe, remember that low level sentinel yesterday.”

“Yeah,” Jim recognized Green’s voice on the other end of the phone as he inched his hearing up just a bit more and casually leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. “He’s interested in bonding, with Sandburg. If he did-“

Green cut him off. “Then he’d need Sandburg at his side. Make sure that sentinel gets a job. Guides almost always work with their sentinels and then we can replace Sandburg with one of our own men.” Green hung up abruptly and Jim heard Burns dial the phone again.

“Maria did he get back?”

“He’s just walking in now, Gordy,” she stated and Jim could hear her whisper to Blair to grab the phone and then Blair was on the line.

“Hi Gordy,” he sounded cheerful, but also a little cautious.

“Blair that sentinel yesterday, he reacted to you. I don’t know if you’d want to bond but I think you should meet with him.”

Jim listened to the silence that followed and then finally Blair’s quiet, “okay.”

Getting off the wall and scrambling quickly for a seat, he heard Gordy say, “I’ll send him to you. Go on out for lunch, spend the afternoon with him, this could be important for you.”

Sitting down looking nervous, Jim glanced up as Burns came out of the office. “Go meet with Blair, take him to lunch, who knows things might work out for both of you.”

“Thanks Mr. Burns,” Jim smiled, sounding relieved. In reality, he was relieved. He needed Sandburg’s help if he wanted to bring down Kincaid, and this would be a lot easier than the introduction he was planning to use on Sandburg.

Walking down the corridor to Sandburg’s office, not having to even act as if he were nervous because he was at the idea of involving this particular guide in the operation, Jim smiled at the secretary. 

“Mr. Ellison,” Maria questioned, and Jim indicated Blair’s door.

“Mr. Sandburg is expecting me.” She nodded rising and walking to the door and then ushered Jim in.

Blair wasn’t sure what to expect or do when Jim entered. He knew Jim was part of some undercover operation and he knew Jim was not a low level sentinel. Unfortunately, he also knew he was attracted to said sentinel, but that Jim didn’t really want to bond with him. Smiling nervously and pushing back his long curly hair with a shaky gesture, he stood. “Welcome back.”

“I know Mr. Burns spoke with you,” Jim said softly and Blair nodded blushing. Despite the circumstances, the guide within was responding to this sentinel and wanted him. “How about I take you to lunch?” Jim asked. “We could maybe talk.”

Blair nodded his agreement. “I know a really good Thai place near here,” he suggested, trying to sound cheerful. But Blair knew this was going to be hard. He’d be with a sentinel he was attracted to and he’d never felt this kind of attraction to a sentinel before, and knew the sentinel was only using him for some undercover reason.

“Sounds good,” Jim agreed and watched the guide stand. He was handsome, Jim thought looking him over and then corrected himself. He wasn’t so much handsome as beautiful and a sentinel could very easily get lost in those dark blue eyes and glorious mop of curls. They shimmered in various colors in the light…

Jim blinked and looked down into the concerned face of the guide as Blair rubbed a hand over Jim’s stroking up and down the sensitive fingers. “You okay?” he asked, and Jim nodded, realizing he had zoned and Blair had pulled him out of it. It had been a long time since he had zoned on anything. He was careful about not using his senses when he was tired but he had just zoned on this guide and he hadn’t been tired or overusing his senses. “Sorry was lost in thought,” he tried as an excuse.

“You were zoned man,” Blair, shook his head, not buying the answer. Ellison might be undercover but he was still a sentinel and Blair wasn’t letting him get away with not seeing what was going on. If the man was zoning, he needed a guide. “What did you zone on?”

Jim blushed looking around, his smile sheepish. “It doesn’t matter. It won’t happen again.” 

Blair searched his face, noting that the sentinel really seemed upset by the zone, “As well he should be,” the analytical part of Blair’s mind demanded. “He’s a cop, a zone on the job…” Blair didn’t finish the thought but shook his head. “We can talk about it over lunch,” he suggested, gently pushing Jim towards the door.

Charm, a Thai restaurant near Rainier University, was small though the smells coming from the kitchen appealed to Jim. As it was still early for the lunch crowd Jim and Blair were the only customers. In Jim’s mind this was a good thing because he wouldn’t want to be sitting knee to knee with students while talking with Blair, especially about sentinel stuff. 

Taking a menu from the waitress, Blair smiled in greeting, obviously familiar with the waitress as she handed a menu to Jim. “You’re here early today, Blair,” the waitress said with a smile and Blair looked up into the pretty face of the young woman waiting tables.

“The food is so good I didn’t want to have to wait,” he said and watched her shake her head.

“Okay, can I get you drinks while you look over the menu?” Jim nodded, ordering a soda, Blair iced tea, before looking over the menus. Once the drinks had arrived and the food was ordered so the menus they were hiding behind had been removed, Jim glanced over Blair.

“I’m not sure exactly how to start this conversation,” he admitted and Blair nodded.

“Maybe I should start,” Blair answered, a certain amount of steel in his voice as he glanced around and leaned in very close, and despite how quiet he kept it, his voice still conveyed anger and hurt as he whispered sentinel soft, “What do you want Ellison? And don’t give me some bonding bullshit. I know this is some undercover operation and that you are not a low level sentinel and don’t want a guide.”

It was not what Jim expected and he sat back in surprise, considering what to say, aware that the Feds would want him to keep quiet. Finally, deciding since he was the one undercover and it was his ass was on the line, he would be the one to decide what he would say and to whom. Glancing around to be sure they had some privacy before leaning forward he asked quietly, “How do you know this is an undercover operation and what makes you think I’m a high level sentinel?”

“You had a strong guide in the army, even if it didn’t work out, and the army doesn’t hand low level sentinels strong guides. And your scores just didn’t add up right when I tested you.” Jim considered this a moment, debating whether to ask how he knew the army had given him a strong guide or how he knew about the undercover operation. 

Deciding on the latter, he leaned in again. “Okay, fair enough, I’m a stronger sentinel than people realize but how do you know about the undercover operation?”

“I have my own sources,” Blair countered.

Jim considered the statement thoughtfully. He was fairly sure Blair was innocent and he was going to need help. Finally, he looked around and then whispered, “Garrett Kincaid is recruiting a sentinel army out of your office.”

Blair stared at the sentinel for a moment as if he were crazy and then shook his head. “That, that can’t be right,” he answered in a raised voice, and then winced realizing he had gotten loud.

Jim shrugged. “He is, and your boss Gordon Burns is up to his neck it in.”

It was Blair’s turn to sit back in shock. “I didn’t know,” he began and Jim raised a hand.

“Easy Chief, I know that. By the way, your office is bugged.”

Jim looked into the shocked face and his senses trained on Blair. There was no way the guide was faking his surprise and Jim felt a degree of satisfaction at knowing Blair was just what he thought. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing illegal in what Burns has been doing. At best we can get him fired for a conflict of interest but we need to know who he’s sent Kincaid’s way.”

Blair considered this a moment letting the shock settle in and then whispered, “It doesn’t make sense, man. What good would it do Kincaid to build a sentinel army? A sentinel is not going to do something wrong because he’s on Kincaid’s payroll.”

Jim smiled at the younger man and his faith in sentinels. “I went through the same argument with my boss this morning. Kincaid is a master of manipulation. He’ll make the sentinels believe they’re doing the right thing.”

“What’s he planning?” Blair challenged, still not believing this could be happening.

“I think he plans to kill the indigenous tribes to get at South American oil.”

Blair looked at Jim thoughtfully, a hand running through his hair in a nervous gesture. “Yeah, I could see it but how do we stop him?”

Jim considered the “we” part of that question momentarily and then answered. “You get me a list of sentinels who didn’t get referred to federal programs.”

Blair nodded his understanding, a hand nervously pushing back a curl. “He may have doctored the records but I’ll check through the lab records. I’ll need to give you a list of sentinels and you’ll need to cross check it with a list of federal employees.”

“You can get the lab records?”

“Yeah, I think so. But that still won’t get you Kincaid.”

“If he’s building an army Chief, he’s supplying them with weapons and I’ll bet your director knows quite a bit about that.”

“I’ll get the list for you,” Blair sat back and watched the sentinel thoughtfully, his eyes moving over Jim. “You did zone in my office,” he stated. “Where is your guide while you’re doing this?”

“I don’t have a guide.”

“How?”

“How?” Jim repeated.

“Yeah, how are you functioning? You’re not some low level sentinel.”

“Contrary to popular belief, Sandburg, a sentinel does not always need a guide,” Jim answered, with some annoyance.

“Okay, society might be a bit over zealous in its belief about sentinels needing guides but an undercover sentinel needs a guide and you did zone in my office. By the way, what did you zone on?”

Jim glanced over Blair, thoughtfully. This was a guide – in guide mode – people thought of sentinels as protective but the truth was the guides were far more dogged and protective than sentinels. Only they focused their protection on one person instead of the tribe, so the sentinel could focus on the tribe. Thinking back to the office, Jim blushed as he remembered what he had zoned on.

“It doesn’t matter it won’t happen again,” he tried, but Blair was having none of it.

“You trust me enough to get me involved in your operation than you should trust me enough to answer. What did you zone on?” he asked again, his tone stern, his features adamant.

Rolling his eyes, Jim gave a sigh of resignation. “I got caught up in your hair,” he said, sheepishly. “The colors.”

“My hair,” Blair reached a hand up pushing the long curls back.

“Yeah your hair,” Jim deliberately made his voice harsh to stop any further comments.

“Why don’t you have a guide?” Blair asked.

“I don’t need one.” Blair didn’t answer right away. He could see this was a subject Jim was not going to discuss.

“I’ll get you a list today. It will take me a little time to access the lab records. Where should I meet you?”

“If we keep up the idea that we are considering bonding we could meet at my place. I keep white noise generators. Most sentinels do.”

“Okay, tonight then,” Jim handed Blair his address and Blair glanced over him again.

“When this is over, I’d like a real test of your senses,” he said softly.

“Why?”

“To see just how badly you do need a guide,” Blair said, gazing straight into Jim’s eyes.

After a moment, Jim looked away. “I’ve learned to deal without one.”

“The quality of your life would be better with one. I bet you suffer from a lot of headaches.”

Jim didn’t answer but signaled the waitress. This was not a conversation he intended to have, with anyone!

***

When Blair got back to the office, he didn’t have to pretend he was dazed, mostly because he totally was in a daze. He smiled at Maria as he walked in and she glanced over.

“Gordy asked you call as soon as you returned.”

Blair nodded, walking into his small office and looking around. What was it Jim had said, his office was bugged. Picking up the phone he dialed Gordy. “Hey I’m back from lunch Gordy.”

“How’d it go Blair?”

“Okay. We’re sort of feeling our way here. I’m going to meet Jim for dinner.”

“Great. If something comes of this take tomorrow off.”

“Nothing may come of this,” Blair warned. As guides they both knew bonding was a complex thing. It might work with one sentinel but not another.

“Do you want to bond with him?”

Blair thought about the feelings he got from Jim and his own. It felt as if his empathy had jumped when he was with Jim and he couldn’t deny the attraction. “I think so,” he admitted, more to himself than to Gordy.

“So go for it.”

“We’ll see what happens tonight,” Blair answered, logging into his computer.

“I hope it works out for you,” Gordy answered, before hanging up.

***

Simon, Megan and the two Feds were sitting in Simon’s office, white noise generator working when Jim walked in at 3:00. “Hi Jim,” the Captain of Major Crimes glanced over his detective. “You okay?”

“Did you get anything?” the senior Fed asked before Jim could answer Simon, and the detective scrambled trying to remember if he’d ever gotten the man’s name. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Jim answered Simon who smiled in response. Then Jim turned to the Fed. “I’ll have a list of sentinels from Sandburg tonight.”

All of the people in the room frowned but it was Dunn who asked, “You broke cover?”

Jim nodded ignoring the glare of the two Feds as he turned to Simon. “He’s going to bring the list to the loft tonight using the idea of bonding as a cover.”

“Why would someone want to bond with a low level sentinel?” the second Fed snarled, his voice radiating a degree of disgust, and Jim supposed he was annoyed that the operation had taken turns he couldn’t control.

It was Megan who snarled back. “You want a reason for Sandburg to be there. There is a reason.”

“Okay, we get the list tonight after the guide leaves and then your part in this is over Ellison,” the second Fed said with disdain and even the man’s partner, Dunn, frowned at the tone. Ellison might be a bit of a loose canon, certainly he was not easily intimidated, but he was also the one taking the risks and didn’t deserve that kind of attitude.

Jim didn’t seemed phased by the man or the attitude and didn’t answer immediately but sat watching the Fed like he was bug under a glass until the man began to squirm. Finally, he snorted. “You get the list tomorrow. I might decide to bond tonight.”

Simon, knowing the sentinel’s predilections towards bonding, doubted Jim would want to bond, but he nodded his agreement. “Tomorrow morning,” he said, before the Feds could object. 

Red faced the Fed stood and Dunn followed his partner with a small nod to the group. After they left, Simon turned to Jm. “Report Detective.”

Jim smiled. “Kincaid is meeting with Burns and Green tomorrow night,” he announced. “And I think we should monitor that meeting.”

“Where?” Simon asked.

“Don’t know,” Jim admitted, “but Burns is over confident, following him shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“And you want to do it?” Simon asked, and Jim nodded. “Megan will go with you then and we’ll keep close.” Jim knew there was no way Simon would let him do this alone so he didn’t bother arguing. In any case, Megan could be relied on; she was a good cop and detective and didn’t give him much grief about being a sentinel without a guide. He gave Megan a quick thumbs up and she stood heading out of the office. 

Simon watched her go and then turned to Jim. “You’re sure you can trust the guide?”

“Yeah, I can.”

“You sound pretty sure about that.”

“I am.”

Simon considered the conversation. He didn’t want to say anything but he wondered if, just maybe, Jim had finally found his guide. Simon worried about Jim and even though Megan made a great partner and a good pinch hitter when Jim really needed sentinel support, she wasn’t a guide. “His credentials are impressive,” Simon admitted, taking a seat at the conference table.

Jim ignored the comment, all too aware that Simon wanted him with a guide. “We’ll need to put tails on Burns and Green and on Kincaid since we don’t know where the meeting is. We’ll need a sentinel pair, Simon.”

“We can use Blake in homicide,” Simon suggested. “He’s reliable and he’s worked with us before.”

“We should put him on Green. Rafe and Brown can take Burns. He’s over confident, so he won’t be looking for a tail.”

“Jim you can’t take Kincaid. If anyone will have sentinels with them it’s Kincaid and you don’t have a guide. You can’t extend far enough. You’ll just zone.”

Jim sat back, his arms crossed over his broad muscled chest in a stubborn manner, but seeing Simon’s face, knowing the Captain wouldn’t relent, he smiled. “I’ll borrow a guide,” he answered.

***

Blair left work at five amid wishes of good luck from Maria and Gordy. Unbeknownst to Gordy, he was carrying a scandisk with all the lab results for the last two years (since Green had taken over the directorship of the OGS). He thought about heading to dinner before meeting Jim, but despite that desire, he found the Volvo parking near Jack Kelso’s home. 

Ringing the bell, hoping Kelso was home, Blair looked around. He didn’t think he was followed but he couldn’t forget Jim’s words about his office being bugged. He was in luck because after a couple of minutes Jack opened the door and Blair went in and took a seat accepting a cup of coffee. Kelso looked over him.

“Let me guess,” he said, quietly. “You’re in the thick of whatever is going on at OGS and the guide in you wants to bond with Ellison.”

Blair blushed looking into his coffee cup but nodded and Jack shook his head but his features softened. “I’ve made some very discrete inquiries about Ellison,” he admitted. “His guide was a rogue CIA agent who tried to use Ellison’s abilities to steal some top secret weapons technology. Ellison was able to stop him but their bond was broken.”

“What kind of bond could it be if the guide could betray his sentinel like that?”

“There was something wrong with Brackett. Before he was assigned to Jim, he had been assigned to a sentinel who went crazy, Alex Barnes. He didn’t recognize that she was unstable, or maybe he didn’t care. I suspect he might have made her even more unstable.” Jack sipped his coffee watching Blair. “Ellison refused another guide and the army didn’t push it figuring he needed a little time to heal. So they sent him on a mission that would take him into the jungle – as an Army Ranger he could handle the jungle, as an unbonded sentinel it was probably the best place for him. And the army stacked the deck, one of the men, Sarris was an unbonded guide. But the mission failed. Actually, it was later learned that the Colonel who sent them was tied to Brackett and sent them to their deaths to get rid of Ellison. But Ellison survived the crash that killed his men and with the help of a tribe completed the mission.

“Wow,” Blair shook his head and Kelso nodded.

“Yeah, when he got back, he quit the army and joined the police. I don’t know what went on in that jungle but he came back with more control than any unbonded sentinel, so people think he’s a low level sentinel and he lets them. But according to army records he was at the highest end of the sentinel spectrum.”

Blair considered this. “I’m responding to him, as a guide, and he’s responding to me as a sentinel,” he admitted at last. 

“You should stay away from him Blair. After Brackett and maybe to some extent Sarris, he doesn’t want a guide and does seem to have a lot of control.”

“He does,” Blair agreed. “But he zoned on me and he’s hurting. His body knows something his mind is refusing to acknowledge. He needs a guide.”

“Blair this could backfire on you.”

The young man nodded. “I know,” he admitted, softly. “But I can’t ignore a sentinel in pain.”

After listening to Kelso, Blair went home and took a quick shower. Packing his computer and the scandisk, he rushed to Ellison’s address and found himself at a building that looked out over the bay. Thinking the area was a lot nicer than the warehouse he rented, Blair went up to apartment 307. He knocked and Jim opened the door still wearing his gun.

“I’m glad you didn’t get here ahead of me,” Jim opened the door and invited Blair in. “I was running late. I was going to go through Wonderburger but I didn’t have time.”

“Wonderburger?” Blair answered, shaking his head. “That stuff is so bad for you.” There was no way Jim should be eating that stuff, Blair decided. It was full of fat and chemicals. Maybe once in a while but, Blair stopped that thought as he realized he was no longer thinking of Jim as a sentinel but as his sentinel and that he was thinking how best to take care of him.

Refocusing, he smiled as Jim asked if he ate. “Didn’t have time,” Blair admitted.

“Pizza okay, Chief?”

“Pizza’s good.”

Jim nodded toward the refrigerator. “There’s cold beer in the frig. Make yourself comfortable and I’ll order dinner.”

“Thanks,” Blair pulled out two beers handing one to Jim before walking into the living room and looking around. “How long have you lived here?” he asked over his shoulder as Jim picked up the phone to order a pie.

“Five years,” Jim answered before dialing. 

Blair nodded seeing signs that this was a sentinel’s home. It was well ordered, “sterile” Blair’s mind supplied brutally, with little that could catch a sentinel’s eye and make him zone, and it was very clean, a normal thing when dealing with sentinels who could see minute traces of dirt. However, the walls were a stark white and Blair knew this was not a good color for a sentinel to look at. A very pale green or an eggshell, even a hint of pink, would be easier on Jim and no guide worth his salt would leave a sentinel in such a cold environment. Jim needed plants, some art on the walls, a few throws to break up the colors of the furniture - and a guide. Realizing this, Blair turned back and watched as the man put down the phone.

“Dinner will be here in a few,” he offered, opening his own beer and taking a drink before asking, “Did you get the list?”

“Yeah and the lab tests, we can compare the two and go from there.”

“Thanks Sandburg,” Jim gave Blair a friendly smile, and the guide automatically smiled back. 

Walking over, his own beer in hand, Jim glanced over his guest. He had sworn he would never have a guide again after watching Sarris die, their friendship just starting to move into something more, but looking at Sandburg something in Jim was beginning to regret that decision. Brackett had been bad, Sarris more a loss of what might have been, but something in Jim was responding to Blair on a level he had never felt with either of the other guides. “We do appreciate your help,” he continued, not realizing he was staring at Blair.

“Jim will you answer a few questions for me?”

“If I can.”

“How is it you don’t have a guide?”

“I learned a bit about control from the Chopec. Incacha, the tribe’s shaman, helped teach me how to function. Out in the jungle it was a lot easier,” Jim admitted, ruefully.

“Why didn’t you bond to a guide? I’m sure the tribe would have welcomed a sentinel.”

“Incacha knew I wouldn’t be staying. He said the spirits showed him I would be rescued.” Jim gave a sardonic smile. “They took their time about it. So, Incacha showed me ways to survive without a guide.” He glanced off, his features softening as he thought of the Chopec Shaman. “He said my guide was among my own people.”

“And you haven’t found your guide yet,” Blair said, sentinel soft. Jim’s eyes met Blair’s, each contemplating the other, neither moving or speaking, as their breathing and heartbeat slowly moved in sync. Finally, reluctantly, Jim looked away when the doorbell rang.

“That’s the pizza,” he said, his voice sounding strange to his own ears as he headed for the door.

With a shaky hand, Blair took a gulp of beer, knowing he was feeling the pull of a bond. Jim returned and put the pizza on the table calling Blair in.

“Why haven’t you bonded?” Jim asked. He was reluctant to let the topic go, something in him pulling him to learn more about the guide.

“I didn’t find my sentinel,” Blair said as Jim reached for a piece of pizza, “Until now.”

Jim’s eyes shot up to Blair’s, his hand still hovering over the pizza. “You feel it too?” he asked.

“Yeah, from the very first time we met.” 

Jim realized his hand was still hovering over the pizza and he reached down and grabbed a slice putting it on his plate as Blair watched him.

“Did you feel this attraction when you bonded with Brackett?”

“No, I’ve never felt anything like this before.”

“Then we’re meant to be together,” Blair answered, with a smile. “You do need a guide, I can tell by just looking around this place, never mind the migraines you suffer from.”

Jim gazed into the dark blue eyes of the man across from him. “I swore I would never get another guide after Brackett and Sarris,” he answered and Blair could hear the pain in the voice.

“Neither of them would have worked out anyway. You were meant to be with me. You can fight it all you want but it’s going to happen.”

Jim sat back pizza and beer forgotten and watched Blair. “You sound very sure of yourself,” there was a hint of challenge in the voice, but also a hint of amusement.

“That’s because I am. You’re mine and no other guide is coming near you,” Blair dictated.

Jim could hear the guide in those words and the sentinel within him started to reach out but Jim pulled back and shook his head. “I can’t think about this until this case is over, Blair.”

“Fair enough, after we eat we’ll go over the files.” He reached for a piece of pizza but paused. “And don’t think you’re doing any of this stuff without me, Ellison.”

Jim laughed at the tone and the words; Blair was a guide in guide mode.

***

Jim and Blair spent the evening going over the files. At times, as their skin brushed against each other, they felt the pull of the bond, neither acknowledging nor denying it. Jim told Blair about the sting operation the next night and that even before their heart to heart Jim had planned on asking the guide for help. Of course, now that the bond would be forged in the not too distant future there was no doubt, at least in Blair’s mind, that he would always be beside Jim.

“You’re not going to tell the Feds about the meeting with Kincaid?” Blair asked and Jim shook his head no.

“No their operation was finding out why OGS was sending up inferior sentinels and we helped them do just that. I’ll hand them the list tomorrow and they’ll walk away happy. This is a different operation and to tell the truth, I don’t trust them.”

“I would think they would be after Kincaid.”

“They are,” Jim agreed, “but they have political pressures that I don’t and Cyclops Oil has political clout.”

They worked out a list for the Feds so they could identify all the sentinels and then made plans for the next day. Jim would go into the PD early and give the Feds the list. Blair had been given the day off by Gordy so he would sleep in and meet Jim at the PD in the late afternoon, presumably to discuss bonding issues. But truthfully, he was coming in the afternoon to avoid the Feds and meet the team he would be working with that evening and Simon Banks would need to meet Jim’s future guide. The pair would have a late lunch together and then stake out Kincaid for the evening.

Plans set, Blair wished Jim good night, and stood on tiptoes to initiate a quick kiss, a bright smile lighting his face before heading back to his warehouse. Parting after the kiss had been one of the hardest things the guide had ever done but they both would need time to bond and so would wait until after this operation when they could devote time to each other. Settling in for the night Blair considered how his life had changed in just twenty four hours. 

And this was only the beginning of the changes he would face. Jim would need a guide at his side and so Blair was already planning how to juggle his hours at OGS to accommodate the sentinel. The guide didn’t consider cutting hours at OGS such a big deal. OGS was not a career, just an interesting way to make money and test sentinels. Blair had been working there to pay for his schooling but he was almost finished with his doctorate and could, with a degree in anthropology, work as a consultant and guide. However, the first thing Blair wanted to do was get a real test of Jim’s senses. At least that way he’d know what he was working with, so he had every intention of taking Jim back to OGS as soon as this operation was over.

As Blair formed his future plans, he glanced around his warehouse apartment thoughtfully. His place was big but it was drafty, filled with rodents and in a dangerous part of town. Jim’s place was in a nice part of town that looked over the bay. It was warm and could be cozy with a bit of decoration. When they did bond, they would become lovers and one or the other of them would need to move so sentinel and guide could be together. It didn’t take Blair much time to decide he should start packing and getting some boxes. In any case, the sentinel would be upset when he saw where the guide lived. Jim, the cop and sentinel, would not think the area safe enough.

Pulling out some boxes and going through his things, deciding what to pack and what to discard, Blair considered what they would be doing the following evening. He had never been part of a covert operation before and though he understood stake outs were tedious, he was excited about the prospects. Also, he wanted to take down Kincaid. Kincaid had been destroying rain forests and trampling over indigenous tribes.

Packing a large mask he had gotten in Fiji, he tried to figure out how Kincaid could trick sentinels into taking out a native tribe. Short of owning the land and being attacked on it by natives employed by drug lords he couldn’t figure a way. Blair stopped, gently laying the mask in a box marked fragile as he realized how Kincaid would trick the sentinels. He would create bogus treaties and maps to show he owned and had rights to the land. He would give false intel about drug lords wanting the land for their trade routes and he would send the sentinels out to defend it against the marauding tribes.

Shaking his head in disgust Blair pulled out his laptop. He would have to get information that showed Cyclops Oil’s holdings, intel that would prove South American land did not belong to Cyclops Oil or Kincaid. If Jim gave that to the Feds, it would go a long way with redirecting the sentinels.

***

Jim handed the Feds a list of twenty two names the next day, all high level sentinels who had been reviewed by OGS and sent to Cyclops. They were standing in Banks’ office, Jim, Simon, Megan and the Feds. Tom Dunn thanked Jim but the second Fed – the nameless one as far as Jim was concerned, leaned forward and grabbed the list with an arrogant air. “It must be hard seeing all these high level sentinels and knowing you’re not one Ellison,” he said, with a snarl as Simon spun, ready to challenge the Fed with a response. 

Jim, with a slight shake of his head to Simon, glanced over the man with a smirk of his own, refusing to rise to the obvious bait. “It must be hard wanting enhanced senses and not having them,” he answered.

“I would never want to be a freak,” the Fed hissed, his face white with contained anger. “Sentinels are no better than guard dogs. The difference is you can talk.” 

Jim watched the man not saying anything, his face indifferent, and the Fed snarled taking the list and storming out. Dunn turned and looked at Simon, Megan and Jim. “Sorry,” he said softly. “He’s always had a sore spot about sentinels.”

“It happens,” Jim shrugged and Dunn turned to go.

“I wouldn’t recommend having him talk with the sentinels,’ Megan advised and Dunn nodded leaving.

Once the Feds were gone Jim turned to Simon. “Sandburg’s going on the stake out with me tonight.”

“Jim he’s a civilian.”

“He’s a guide and I’m a sentinel.” He looked at Simon’s closed face. “I’ll be responsible for him.”

Simon considered this for a moment then glanced at Megan. He didn’t want to bring up bonding in front of the Megan but he wanted to know if his detective was finally getting his head on straight. “Sandburg, is he-“

“Yeah,” Jim answered, cutting Simon off. “After we catch Kincaid we’re going to discuss bonding.”

Simon and Megan smiled, relief clearly showing on both their faces as Jim turned to his desk. He’d call Blair and get the evening’s planning started.

***

Blair Sandburg was not exactly what Simon expected in a guide, not a guide for Jim anyway, but Megan smiled whispering sentinel soft, “He’s gorgeous mate.”

They had met in the afternoon when Blair showed up at Major Crimes. Until Jim had walked into the bullpen the Major Crimes detectives hadn’t believed he could be Jim’s guide, not with his long hair, flannel shirt, colorful vest and earing. They had expected someone more conservative (military) in bearing. 

When Jim walked in Blair had been handed a ton of paperwork and was filling it out as they sat at the conference table going over their plans for the evening. Every once in a while Simon would glance at the young man with a degree of uncertainty but he held his tongue. Bonding was not something anyone had figured out so no one understood why Sentinel Jim Ellison and Guide Blair Sandburg would match up as a pair.

Having worked out the plans along with Blake and Roberts from homicide, the team set out. Megan had originally been set to go with Jim but the sentinel had nixed that idea, pulling Simon aside and telling him he needed some time alone with the guide to calibrate his senses to Blair. Simon hadn’t liked it but as he and Megan would be monitoring the operation and in the field, he agreed. Jim and Blair set out heading over to Cyclops Oil after making sure the CEO was, in fact, there. The detectives were fairly certain the meeting would not be held at Cyclops Oil. Green and Burns would not want to be seen there or with Kincaid. There would be too many questions to answer if someone noticed. So all teams would follow various players and hope they got something useful from the meeting.

They parked some distance from the gates of the company, Jim having identified the black Jaguar Kincaid drove. Jim was watching Kincaid’s car, having switched seats with Blair so the guide could drive while Jim tracked Kincaid’s car, his eyes moving over its sleek lines when he realized something. With a glance at the time, 4:30 he nodded to the car. The pair had agreed there would be no unnecessary conversation once Kincaid came out but he wasn’t due to leave yet. 

“I’ve seen a black jaguar before,” he said and Blair who could not see the car but knew Jim was watching it, smiled.

“Run in rich circles?” he asked quietly, but Jim shook his head.

“No, I don’t mean a car. Incacha, the Chopec Shaman, told me my spirit animal is a black jaguar.”

“You’ve seen your spirit animal?” Blair turned to stare at the sentinel.

“Yeah, in the jungle.”

“You do realize 90% of sentinels never see their sprit animals. Many people believe spirit animals are a myth.”

Jim just shrugged in response. Blair watching him looked at his backpack on the floor by Jim’s feet. He wished he could take out his notepad. “There is a theory that only sentinels at the extreme end of the spectrum have the ability to see spirits, whether animals or humans. We are going to run some serious tests and you are going to give your full cooperation and a full account of your time in the jungle,” Blair stated. Jim didn’t answer but sighed.

“You’ve got to be at the elite end of the spectrum.” Blair stopped, his eyes narrowing. “How often do you get headaches?”

“Four, five times a week.”

“Do you have one now?” Blair’s hand automatically reached for the sentinel’s arm.

“No.”

“How many turn into full blown migraines?”

“One or two a week.”

“And yet you didn’t consider bonding?” Blair accused.

“Didn’t know you Chief.”

Blair was about to argue but stopped at the words, his mouth shutting with a snap as he smiled. Finally, nodding, he turned back to Jim. “Okay, but we are taking care of this ASAP.”

Jim nodded and then gripped Blair’s arm. “Kincaid’s coming out,” he whispered, “with one man, a security guard but I don’t know if he is a sentinel, so no talking.”

Blair nodded starting the truck. “I want you to focus sight. Keep your sense of touch trained on me. You’re going to piggy back two senses to keep from zoning.” Jim nodded sitting straight. “Just whisper left, right or straight, I’ll take care of the driving.”

Jim nodded again his eyes on the black car and Blair pulled onto the road, driving slowly, tapping his hand on the wheel as if listening to music with not a care in the world, as the black jaguar passed him on the road.

Twenty five minutes later, Jim and Blair parked near the docks by a bunch of old abandoned and condemned warehouses a block away from Kincaid’s jaguar. Getting out of the truck, they waited for Simon and Megan who joined them along with Rafe and Brown who followed Gordy Burns to the area. Blake and Roberts came up a few minutes later having followed Director Green. The cops, knowing they couldn’t talk with a possible sentinel on guard within hearing distance, waked down two more blocks. In a whisper, Simon asked, “Will you be able to hear anything if you get closer?”

“Not unless we get in the warehouse,” Blake answered. “They’ve got white noise generators on, probably so if the guard is a sentinel he won’t hear what’s being planned.”

“We can’t go in, we don’t have a warrant and our suspicions aren’t enough to get one.”

Jim considered this thoughtfully, glancing around, and then touched Blair lightly on the shoulder. “I’ve got an idea. Simon could you check and see if Burns, Green or Kincaid have weapons permits?”

Simon nodded indicating Megan should follow up and handing her his phone. 

“Rafe, you and Brown will start at the end of the dock knocking on warehouse doors and asking about something.”

“What?” Rafe asked.

“I don’t know, tell them you’re investigating a series of muggings in the area. That’s got to be fairly common in the area.”

“Okay and while we’re doing this?” Brown asked.

“I’m going to double around the back and get closer to the warehouse.”

“We still don’t have a warrant,” Simon said as Megan returned. 

“They’re checking federal databases now but so far no, Kincaid, Green and Burns don’t have permits” she informed the men.

“I’m willing to bet they’ll pull weapons out when someone knocks on their door and I’ll smell them. If I smell anything, I let Blake and Roberts know and we all move in.”

Simon paused and gave Jim a measured look. “If you do smell weapons, you’ll have to prove you’re capable, that your senses are strong enough,” he warned.

Glancing first at Blair and then at Simon, Jim gave him a grateful smile, acknowledging that Simon was warning him the PD would have to get his real abilities on record.

“It’s okay, Blair’s already insisting on retesting.”

Simon chuckled and turned to H and Rafe. “Go ahead and start. Blake, Roberts take up a position in the alley behind the warehouse and listen for when Jim says to move in. You’re monitoring in case something goes wrong.” The detectives from Homicide nodded heading out as Blair and Jim walked down an alley out of the line of sight of the guard at the door. At the same time, Rafe and H started at the corner, knocking on the door of the first warehouse on Kincaid’s left.

Jim and Blair moved in through the back. There was still some light from the late afternoon sun since it only about 5:45 but there weren’t many people around these old abandoned docs, not in the cooler climate of late autumn. Moving slowly, Jim’s senses alert, he led Blair through the back until he worked his way around to the rear of the warehouse and crouched below a broken and boarded up window, Jim opening his sense of smell as Blair rested a hand on his arm. Letting his senses move out, he paused frowning. He could already smell something besides stale human odors and fish and he frowned capturing the scent. Sliding down the wall, Blair beside him, he talked directly to Blake and Roberts, “Abort. Tell H and Rafe to break off.” Having said those words softly, he moved cautiously back away from the warehouse, Blair beside him. Once they had cleared the dock, Simon and Megan moved closer as Blake, Roberts, H and Rafe came to join them.

“Why’d we break off?” H asked as they looked expectantly at Jim.

“They’ve got explosives in there. I could smell C4 and at least one dead body.”

“Damn just what we don’t need,” Simon said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Megan call Joel Taggart and let him know a sentinel has picked up the scent of explosives.” He glanced at his men, “Back up everyone, we’re going to need to set up a perimeter.” Simon glanced at Jim. “How much C4?”

“Don’t know but I could smell it pretty clearly.”

“Blake, Roberts can you smell it?” 

The sentinel guide pair turned as one, the guide anchoring the sentinel but after a moment they turned back, Blake shaking his head. “I smell the body but not the C4,” he said. “But Ellison was a lot closer to the building.”

“The bomb squad and back up are on their way,” Megan said softly, coming closer. “I also told Taggart to inform SWAT.”

“Good,” Simon nodded glancing around. “At least we’re in an isolated area.”

Blair listened to the comment with a frown, his mind on the man standing entry outside the warehouse door. If he was a sentinel, though Blair’s mind suggested the man might probably was not considering he didn’t seem to be aware of a dead body, he was in the direct path of danger and might be innocent. “The first thing we need to do is get that man away from the door,” Blair stated softly and the others turned to look at him. “He could be innocent.”

Simon nodded his agreement, glancing down the row of warehouses. “We need to do that without alerting the men inside.” 

Megan glanced at the captain. “I’ll take care of that mate,” she said reaching up and messing her hair, her hands turning it into an unruly mess.

The seven men looked at her as she hurried down the dock and stopped looking at the security guard. “Can you help me,” she asked, a quiver in her voice as she stopped some distance from the door. “I…I…,” she gave what she hoped was a realistic sob. “Please.”

The security guard glanced at the door and then at the woman before stepping closer. “How can I help you miss?” he asked and she nodded towards the corner. 

“My car it broke down and,” she paused. “Please.”

The man nodded and followed the distraught woman down the dock, right to Simon, who smiled holding up his badge.

***

Joel and the SWAT team arrived minutes later, on Simon’s order, coming in quietly, no lights or sirens running to alert the men in the warehouse that they were under surveillance. They met far enough from the dock and warehouse that they could feel safe, Captain Douglas Pillar, the head of the SWAT team, nodding to Simon as he and his team walked over. In minutes the three captains were meeting, discussing the warehouse and how to proceed.

“Simon how sure are you about this intel?” Pillar asked. “Jim’s a good cop but Blake didn’t smell anything and I don’t remember hearing he’s a strong sentinel.”

“I’m strong enough,” Jim answered looking straight into Pillar’s brown eyes. “And I know what I smelled.” 

Pillar looked at Jim and nodded trusting the man. They had worked together before and Pillar knew Jim was a highly trained soldier and cop. “Sorry Jim but I had to ask.”

Jim nodded his understanding as Simon added his support. “Listen Doug, if Jim says he smells explosives, then there are explosives in that building.”

“Okay,” Pillar answered, signaling his team to come over. He had four men with him and he nodded to the warehouse and then turned back to Jim. “Could you tell where the explosives were?” Jim shook his head no and Pillar glanced at the building again. “They have white noise generators?”

“Yeah, I couldn’t hear the conversation or figure how many were in the building but I could smell a dead body and the explosives.”

“If we killed the power to the building, maybe you and Blake could do a little recon.”

“It would show our hand,” Simon warned as Taggart’s team began setting up a command area of their own.

“Probably, but with explosives in the building it’s the safest way,” Pillar answered. “Jim, you and your guide head around back. I’ll set snipers on the roofs of other buildings and have one of my men cut the power. When we cut the power let me know how many heartbeats you hear,” he handed Jim a communicator. “Be careful, don’t get too close. Blake,” he looked at the other sentinel, “you and Roberts keep near the front and let me know how many heartbeats you hear and if you smell anything.” Both teams nodded their agreement, setting off as Pillar signaled his men to cut power to the warehouse.

In minutes, the dock had gone dark and only Blake and Jim could see clearly more than larger shapes without flashlights in the fast approaching night. Blair, beside Jim, put a hand on his arm, centering the sentinel and keeping close as Jim rested his hand on the wall and tilted his head listening to shouts inside the warehouse as the lights went out. 

Jim could smell guns immediately, and he could still smell both the explosives and the dead body. Still watching the warehouse, his head tilted as he listened he whispered to Blair to call Pillar. “Tell him I only hear three heartbeats, they’re armed and I still smell explosives.” 

Blair against the warehouse wall beside him took the communicator and called in the information. “Okay, I want you two to back off, get somewhere safer,” Pillar answered. “We’re going to contact the men.”

Blair glanced around looking for cover. The only thing near that would work was a dumpster and he turned to Jim pointing at it questioningly. The sentinel nodded and mouthed “go” then turned back to the window obviously listening to something inside and Blair realized Jim wasn’t about to retreat. “Come on Jim,” Blair whispered in a low but nonetheless determined voice as he grabbed the sentinel’s arm and started to pull but Jim held up a hand.

“They’re not near the C4. It’s near this window and they’re on the other side of the building,” he said softly glancing up. “That’s why I could smell it and Blake couldn’t. If I can get in there I can probably get it out.”

Knowing this was an insane idea and wondering if he had picked a daredevil for a sentinel, Blair forwarded the message to Pillar. “No Jim,” came the quick reply. “You don’t know what the inside of the warehouse looks like, whether you’ll have any cover. Get somewhere safe, we’re going to throw in some tear gas.”

Blair thanked God that Pillar had more sense than Jim as the pair moved in a crouch towards the dumpster just before a bullhorn told the occupants of the warehouse to come out. Wincing in pain from the volume of the bullhorn, Jim shook his head clear and watched as someone came to the boarded up window and started pulling it open. Pointing out the movement to Blair, Jim watched as Kincaid appeared at the window, Burns and Green with him, the men trying to yank open the boards as Kincaid said something about explosives and a boat hidden just under the dock. 

“The SWAT snipers won’t have a shot from this angle,” he whispered. “Tell Pillar, Kincaid is planning to blow up the explosives, and then sneak off in a boat under the docks, and they’re moving out.” As Jim said this he slid around the side of the dumpster.

“Where are you going?” Blair asked.

“To stop them before they blow up the explosives.”

Taking a breath, Blair called Pillar to inform him what was happening and then slid around the side of the dumpsters looking for something he could use as a weapon as Jim moved out from the protection of the dumpster and toward the window.

Sliding around the side of the dumpster to follow the sentinel, Blair hefted a small rock in each hand and watched as Jim plastered himself to the wall of the warehouse and waited. In minutes, Kincaid, Burns and Green slipped out of the window as a crash from the front of the building indicated that teargas had been thrown into the warehouse. Hoping the crash wouldn’t waylay the sentinel, Blair held tight to his rock aiming it at the shadowy figures as Jim ordered the three men to drop their weapons. The men spun looking at Jim’s raised weapon as he identified himself as a cop and told them to drop their weapons.

Burns and Green seemed inclined to obey but Kincaid aimed at Jim. “There are three of us and one of you,” he sneered and Blair lifted a rock aiming. In seconds, Green cried out as he fell to his knees.

Smiling Jim pointed right at Kincaid’s head. “As you can see I’m not alone. Drop Your Weapon?”

Kincaid squinted through the gloom and then slowly lowered his weapon, Burns following suit. “Hands on your heads,” Jim demanded, “and get down on your knees.” The men did as demanded as Jim called out. “Sandburg, let Pillar know what’s going on.”

“Sandburg,” Burns whispered in surprise and started to turn but Jim stopped him as shouts down the alley indicated the arrival of backup.

“Yeah, Sandburg,” Jim confirmed. “I have to thank you for helping me find my guide,” Jim answered as Pillar and the SWAT team moved in and Joel Taggart’s team started into the warehouse.

Once the explosives were secured the CSU team moved in. In addition to the explosives, which had Kincaid’s fingerprints all over them, they found a cache of weapons with Kincaid’s fingerprints. The dead body was that of a transient who must have stumbled into the warehouse and his fate and the bullet matched the weapon Kincaid was carrying. And eventually, Burns and Green broke under Jim’s interrogation and admitted their parts in sending sentinels to Kincaid.

All in all Simon was happy with the results and sat down with a cigar in his mouth as H, Rafe, Megan, Blake and Roberts sat at a table in a local cop bar with Jim and Sandburg, the group celebrating their success. “Well gentlemen,” he smiled at the detectives. “We stopped Kincaid, not bad for a day’s work.”

“And to think we can thank the Feds for sending us in the right direction,” Megan answered raising her beer glass. Everyone clinked glasses with her before she eyed Jim and Blair. “I suppose mate, you’ve got a new partner there,” she smiled in welcome at Blair, relieved that the sentinel had found a guide. She knew how difficult things had been for Jim.

Jim smiled at Blair, “We haven’t worked that out yet.”

“But you are going to bond? I mean you are a pair?”

Jim glanced over at Blair who smiled his eyes on his sentinel, “We will be.”

H raised his glass. “To Jim and Blair,” he offered and everyone clinked glasses again. Two hours later, Jim and Blair got out of a cab at the loft, both happily buzzed.

Once in the door, Jim reached for the coffee pot, and glanced over at Blair. “I guess we should talk about bonding,” he said quietly. “It is, after all, a pretty big step.”

Blair smiled back at Jim sensing how nervous the sentinel was. “Okay, let’s discuss bonding.” Slowly, Blair moved toward Jim, his eyes bright with anticipation and lust. “I want you, you want me, sentinel wants guide, guide wants sentinel, that enough for you?”

Jim took a step back, putting down the coffee pot as Blair invaded his personal space, his senses filling with the scent and pheromones coming from his guide. “Work,” he croaked trying to stay focused. “I’m a cop, I have to continue working with the Cascade PD.” He took another step back, trying to focus his thoughts.

“I can work part time with OGS until they find a replacement,” Blair answered, his voice seductive as he moved in, again. “I can juggle the PD and OGS and my work at Rainier.” A hand reached out to run down Jim’s chest and slide further down, feeling the bulge between Jim’s legs that matched his own. “I am a good juggler.”

Jim gasped as Blair’s fingers gently messaged his trapped erection. “I’m…” Jim paused suddenly finding it very difficult to think let alone speak. Swallowing he tried again. “I come with a whole set of house rules.”

Blair chuckled, his fingers reaching to open Jim’s pants. “All sentinels do,” he informed Jim and the sentinel groaned, catching Blair’s hand. 

“You’re going to have to live with me.”

Blair stretched up and bit on Jim’s neck, claiming and marking Jim as his. “I’ve already started packing.” Large dark blue eyes, vulnerable and anxious looked up into Jim’s. “Bond with me, my sentinel.”

Jim reached down a trembling hand caressing down Blair’s neck and then running across his full lips. He knew this was right. He could feel it. Blair had been the one Incacha had told him would come, his true guide. “Bond with me, my guide.” 

Leaning down, Jim kissed Blair, his tongue entering Blair’s mouth to taste his guide as Blair again reached to open Jim’s pants, this time, not being stopped. Feeling hot, hard flesh, the guide groaned as Jim’s erection was pulled out of his pants and he licked his lips, wanting nothing more than to taste his sentinel. 

At the same time, Jim’s own hands began an exploration of his guide, running down his body, sensitive fingers cataloguing Blair’s erogenous zones even through his clothes. Sliding a hand into Blair’s pants, he began caressing the heated flesh and kissed the guide again before reluctantly pulling back. Before Blair could complain about the loss of contact Jim grabbed his hand, “Upstairs, our bed,” he ordered in a lust filled voice, and Blair nodded, the two men climbing the steps that led to Jim’s loft bed.

They stripped each other, tasting and marking each other as they each claimed the other, their cocks, rubbing in time, until as one they came in each other’s arms, their bodies and minds linking in an age old joining, sentinel and guide bonded.

“My guide,” Jim whispered, tightening his hold on Blair, knowing they would be stuck together if he didn’t get up and clean them off. But somehow the idea of being stuck to Blair appealed to Jim and so he settled back against the pillows his senses calm and crisp as they all focused on the man in his arms.

“My sentinel,” Blair whispered in response, his own senses filled with his sentinel. “I will watch over you for all time,” he said, in the age old language of guides.

“And I will watch and protect the tribe,” came the reply, as they settled down, content.


End file.
